MAPS! jack dawson

CHAPTER FOURTEEN, surviving together

April 14, 1912

David didn't know how long he and Rose had been there. It had gotten quiet, but he knew it wasn't a good quiet. It was eerie. The screams had stopped, the cries were gone. It was too quiet. And the silence was haunting. It was getting harder and harder to keep his eyes open. He was exhausted and freezing. He could barely move his body. His eyes scanned the area, hoping to see someone, anyone. But there was nothing. He couldn't even hear anything. No voices, no screams. Nothing.

"Rose, you have to stay awake, love. Keep your eyes open." David murmured, shaking her gently. He was terrified. The last thing he wanted was for her to fall asleep. He knew if she fell asleep, she would probably never wake up. And he couldn't lose her.

"It's hard. I'm so cold." Rose mumbles, her voice shaking. Her teeth were chattering and her body was trembling. Frost was covering her eyelashes and hair, her lips blue. "I'm so tired. I can't feel my body."

Frost covered David's hair as well, his eyes half closed. He was exhausted and cold, but he couldn't give up. He wouldn't. "Rose, listen to me." He started, his voice soft. "You...You're not dying. Not on my watch. You have to keep fighting, sweetheart. You-you have to promise me."

"I...I promise." Rose mumbled, her words slurred from the cold. Her body was slowly going numb, her eyelids feeling heavy.

David felt his heart ache. She was barely able to talk. He felt the same, but he kept pushing. They had to stay awake. "The boats are coming back, remember? They're going to save us. We just...We just have to wait a little longer."

Rose swallows thickly, burying her face in the crook of his neck. Her eyes fluttered shut, but she forced them open. She didn't want to die, but her body was giving up on her. She was trying her best to stay awake. Her mind was slowly shutting down, she couldn't even feel her hands anymore. Everything was so cold. "I can't...Feel my body." She whimpered.

David felt his heart shatter. He had to find a way to keep her awake. If she fell asleep, there was a chance she would never wake up again. "You have to keep your eyes open, Rose. Stay awake, darling. You have to keep talking. I need you to stay awake, alright? When I first met you, I-I was taken aback by...By how beautiful you were...And I was so sad and concerned to see you..You trying to jump off the ship."

"It...I had no idea what else to do. I didn't want the life I-I was forced into." Rose stammers, her voice weak and shaking. "But...But I'm so glad you stopped me, David. I'm so happy...That you found me and gave me another chance."

"And I'm glad I stopped you, love. You are...So special, so wonderful, Rose. So full of light. You-you have so much life ahead of you. Don't give up. We have to be positive, alright? I..I need you, sweetheart. I need you in my life. We...We can't lose hope." David's voice cracked, but he forced himself to keep speaking, even as exhaustion threatened to overwhelm him.

"When I first met you, I was taken aback by how vibrant and full of life you were," He continues, his words faltering slightly as the cold seeped deeper into his bones. "You had this incredible smile, and you always made everything feel so...So bright when we were together. I knew from that moment that I never wanted to be without you." Rose's shivering body seemed to respond to his words, a faint flicker of warmth in her eyes despite her exhaustion. "You are the light of my life, Rose. You've brought so much joy into my world, and I-I want nothing more than to spend the rest of my days by your side."

A small, faint smile appeared on Rose's lips. "I feel the same way. I never...I never knew love could be so beautiful until I met you, David. You...You showed me that there was more to life than what I'd been taught, that there was more than...Than just following the rules and doing what I was told. You made me realize that I could be free, that I could live life on my own terms. And I-I've never been happier than when I'm with you."